Certain Gram-positive bacteria, including meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin-resistant enterococci, and quinolone-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae have achieved the status of "superbugs", in that there are few or no antibiotics available for therapy against these pathogens. Only a few classes of novel antibiotics have been introduced in the past 40 years, and all since 199...

The in vitro activities of ABT-773 were evaluated against 324 strains of gram-positive bacteria, including multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus spp. and Enterococcus spp. ABT-773 had lower MIC ranges, MICs at which 50% of isolates are inhibited (MIC(50)s), and MIC(90)s than erythromycin or clindamycin for almost all isolates tested. The MICs of ABT-773 were also lower than those of quinupristin-d...

Sir, Macrolide, lincosamide and streptogramin antibiotics are chemically distinct inhibitors of bacterial protein synthesis. Quinupristin/dalfopristin is a combination of streptogramin B and A compounds (SB/SA) with a synergic activity against most Gram-positive bacteria. Expression of MLS resistance in staphylococci may be constitutive or inducible. When expression is constitutive, the strains...

The activity of ranbezolid (RBX 7644), a new oxazolidinone, against 306 anaerobes was compared with those of 11 other agents. The MICs at which 50% of the isolates tested are inhibited and those at which 90% of the isolates tested are inhibited (in micrograms per milliliter) were as follows: ranbezolid, 0.03 and 0.5; linezolid, 2 and 4; vancomycin, >16 and >16; teicoplanin, 1 and >16; quinupris...

inezolid is the first in a new class of antimicrobials, the oxazolidinones. This antimicrobial is approved to treat gram-positive infections caused by vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) (1). Newer antibiotics have provided clinicians greater treatment options; however, ongoing experience shows limitations in their use. We report two pat...